Genomics Between Prescriptive Code and Social Construction: An analysis of...

Genomics Between Prescriptive Code and Social Construction: An analysis of the constraints and possibilities for social choices in genomics for developing countries

Period

11 / 2004 - 11 / 2008

Status

Completed

Dissertation

Yes

Research number

OND1316368

Data Supplier

Projectleider

Abstract

Genomics is a scientific discipline that concerns the large-scale mapping of the genetic material of a range of organisms, including humans, in order to gain a better understanding of the functioning of genes in the organism and in its interactions with the environment. It is a new area of technological development and its results will most likely have a large impact on society. Other than biotechnology, genomics is studying the building blocks of life to gain a more general understanding and to make effective use of genes. Expectations are very optimistic and futuristic, including for example rapid and easy disease identification and the development of new crop varieties with greater drought and disease tolerance, less environmental stress and more nutritional value.The optimism of these expectations is mostly based on the possibilities of the technology (its technical potentials), without considering the fact that technology is the outcome of negotiation processes between different stakeholders from social, economic and political nature and that technology therefore is a social construct. A social construct that is formed within specific power relations and negotiation processes and therefore primarily reflects and reinforces these unequal power relations, unless emancipator elements are consciously introduced in the social code (script) of the technology.Genomics may indeed offer new tools of choices. However, what technologically is possible, may socially be difficult to realise. A hypothesis is that the social code (script) of genomics reflects unequal social relations of agro-industrial production chains. Therefore, the core scientific problem of this research program is to explore whether and how genomics is not just a reward of successful development but becomes a tool for achieving it and new form of genomics are created in which the co-creation of social and technical elements is attuned to the needs of the resource-poor? This research program is composed of three interrelated project, 1) the international organization of genomics research (done by Wietse Vroom), 2) how societal organizations influence the genomics research agenda (done by Daniel Puente), and 3) the relations between genomics research and 'open source' approaches.